AACR2 does not define any of the types of dates that might be found on serials. For a discussion on dates relating to chronological designations, see Module 8.

a. Publication date:

The publication date is the year in which a work is made available to the public. The publication date, when found on the piece, consists solely of the year and most often appears with the place and name of the publisher.

b. Release dates:

The release date generally consists of a month and year that reflects the date of release for publication. Release dates often appear on government publications and technical reports.

c. Copyright dates:

The copyright date is a legal date that reflects the year in which the issue was registered for copyright protection. The date may or may not be the same as the publication date. In many cases, however, the copyright date is the only available date for recording in this area.

See also:

10.4. Dates of Publication